Calgary drug crackdown sees 22 arrested for drug trafficking at CTrain stations

Calgary police arrested 22 people and laid 115 total charges against people dealing drugs at CTrain stations throughout the city.

During the crackdown, officers seized cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, psilocybin and a number of unknown pills over a month-long investigation.

Police say eight of those arrested were also wanted on a total of 77 unrelated warrants for previous offences and court breaches.

Calgary has seen numerous stabbings and other attacks on platforms since ridership increased this year.

The police operation, led by the Drug Undercover Street Team, focused on several stations that have seen the most issues and started when they noticed an increase in drug-related calls at CTrain stations, including violence and overdoses.

A mix of uniformed and undercover officers made the arrests.

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“We’ve already seen an impact from this targeted enforcement,” said Staff-Sgt. Kyle Grant with the CPS Undercover Operations Unit.

“Calgarians deserve to feel safe as they move about our city, including on transit, and we will continue to monitor crime trends so that we can target the areas where drug trafficking is occurring.”

Investigators say more work is being done to keep CTrain stations safe, but there is no “silver bullet” that will fix everything overnight.

“It’s a multi-faceted approach,” Acting Inspector Jeremy Wittman said. “We do need to be vigilant.”

People struggling with addictions were connected to supports, as Wittman says police focused on major players who were responsible for supplying the drugs.

“We are not interested in incarcerating those people, or dealing with them through the criminal system,” Wittman said. “Our goal is to target the drug traffickers who are preying on the vulnerable people.”

Police say anyone with information about drug trafficking in the city should call them at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers.